This summer, SCORE kicked off their 60th Anniversary Celebration with the 60th Anniversary Pitch Competition where businesses were able to pitch their business to a panel of industry experts.
PREMIER SPONSOR
SCORE’s 60th Anniversary Pitch Competitions were an electrifying celebration of innovation and entrepreneurship. These competitions were designed for small business owners who wanted to improve their presentation and selling skills.
Participants gained valuable insights and guidance from SCORE mentors and industry experts, ensuring they were well-prepared to deliver a compelling pitch for the event.
Thanks to the generous support of our sponsors, the top three pitches received prize money for their businesses:
- 1st place and 2nd place: donated by Global Atlantic Financial Group
- 3rd place: donated by Principal
Pitch Winners:
Philadelphia
1st Place: Lisa Basini, The Baking Coach
2nd Place: Demetri Patitsas, The Greek Shack
3rd Place: Ed & Kristin Cunningham, The Spot Hometown Deli
Des Moines
1st Place: Scott Massey, Anu
2nd Place: Katie Olthoff, ChopLocal
3rd Place: Tony Horner, Fermented Felon
Virtual Competition
1st Place: Helen Ianniello, Stockmen Drug
2nd Place: Christina VanDam, Zeal Aerial Fitness
3rd Place: Vanessa Sanchez, Bonnee
Los Angeles
1st Place: Diana Jarrar. MAGICDATES
2nd Place: Jon Mowl, Play With ASL
3rd Place: Brice Sokolowski, Vaucluse Backpack Ventilation Gear
Houston
1st Place: Crystal Lister, Mommy and Me
2nd Place: Khaliah Guillory, Nap Bar
3rd Place: Jacky Chao, Creator Camp
These competitions were not just about winning; they were designed to help participants gain the knowledge and skills necessary to elevate their businesses while also providing an opportunity to secure growth funding.
Pitch Training Webinars
To prepare for future pitch events, please view these four educational webinars for small business owners to learn how to pitch, get funding and grow with businesses. Register now for these on-demand webinars. You can also watch the on-demand SCORE webinar, "How to Create a Product Pitch That Sells."
Amanda Harless brings 24 years of insurance experience and is the SVP and Head of the Independent Channel Experience. In this role, Amanda is responsible for delivering operational excellence for our Independent Marketing Organization partners. In her previous role at Global Atlantic, she was the SVP of the Enterprise Contact Center, responsible for ensuring customer satisfaction and providing piece of mind to customers who purchased Global Atlatnic Annuity & PreNeed policies.
Prior to joining Global Atlantic in 2016, Amanda was held a variety of roles including Firm Relationship Management
Shellie Peters is VP of Benefits & Charitable Giving at Global Atlantic. She is responsible for overseeing employee benefits as well as charitable programs, which include volunteering, corporate partners and the Global Atlantic Foundation.
Shellie joined Global Atlantic in 2017, and during her time with the company she has made significant contributions to a variety of Human Resources initiatives. Today, her core role encompasses oversight of employee benefits, and in that capacity she works with both internal and external stakeholders to help keep Global Atlantic employees safe, healthy
Liz Sara has more than 30 years of experience in the national entrepreneurship community as a seasoned business executive, non-profit leader, startup company champion and angel investor. In January 2022, she became President of the SCORE Foundation, the philanthropic arm of SCORE which provides free mentoring and business programs to small business owners and entrepreneurs around the country.
Prior to joining the Foundation, she successfully ran the strategy firm, Best Marketing LLC, that she founded in 2001. During those 20 years, she provided executive level expertise to more than 100 early
Global Atlantic Financial Group
Global Atlantic Financial Group is a leading insurance company meeting the retirement and life insurance needs of individuals and institutions. With a strong financial foundation and risk and investment management expertise, the company delivers tailored solutions to create more secure financial futures. The company's performance has been driven by its culture and core values focused on integrity, teamwork and the importance of building long-term client relationships. Global Atlantic is a wholly-owned subsidiary of KKR, a leading global investment firm. Through its relationship, the company leverages KKR's investment capabilities, scale and access to capital markets to enhance the value it offers clients. KKR's parent company is KKR & Co. Inc. (NYSE: KKR).
SCORE's 60th Anniversary Pitch Competition awarded 15 small business owners from across the U.S. $175,000 in prize money, national exposure, invaluable networking and one-on-one mentoring.
To learn more or access event photography, view or download the event press kits below.
To schedule interviews with the competition winners, finalists, mentors, or representatives from SCORE, please contact media@score.org.
For more information about SCORE, recent press releases or small business data, visit SCORE’s media resources.
